tries. It affords the same protection to the life and property of the peasant as to the nobleman, and makes them both equal in the eyes of Law and Justice. We may observe that it is not formed by despotism or by the whim of great men, but it is the result of a long experience, as all defects have been from time to time considered and remedied in such a manner as to improve, advance, and secure the happiness of the people, and by this mode gradual changes were effected and the system has come to that perfection as to excite approbation even from their enemies.

We have described the House of Commons, but strictly speaking the British Parliament consists of the Sovereign in his Royal capacity, and the three estates of the realm, viz. first, the lords spiritual, second, the lords temporal, both of whom form the House of Lords, and third, the knights, citizens and burgesses who form the Lower House, or the House of Commons. The whole Parliament sat together originally but about the reign of Edward the Third, the Lords and Commons separated and have from that time held their parliamentary meetings apart.

The House of Lords at the present time is thus composed, three princes of the royal blood (dukes,) twenty-one dukes, twenty marquisses, one hundred and thirteen earls, twenty viscounts, two hundred and nine barons, sixteen peers of

Scotland, twenty-eight peers of Ireland, twentyfour archbishops and bishops of England, and four archbishops and bishops of Ireland; and how have these peers who form this House of Lords been made, and what are they? In the earliest ages persons, who were possessed of much land, kept about their houses a great many persons called retainers who followed them to fight, and upon occasions when the king required a number of supporters, he used to summon these land owners at a particular time and place for their assistance and counsel; and this was the first House of Peers. After sometime admirals of the navy and commanders of the army were made noblemen and sent to the House of Peers, sometimes persons have been made noblemen for lending their lives to the King, sometimes if a person has been very troublesome in the House of Commons and been constantly asking for information not pleasant for the Government to give, he has been made a nobleman; if a minister wanted votes upon a particular measure which he was anxious to carry, a peerage has been conferred upon a person to abstain from voting against the question; and if a man who held a little place in the ministry was found to be of no use, and would not resign his situation, he was made a nobleman and sent to the House of Peers. The lawyer who made himself the active instrument of Government and hesitated not to decide

always as the ministry wished him, was made a nobleman and sent into the House of Peers; a very great many of the House of Lords were make peers because they were owners of Pocket Boroughs and could return several members to the House of Commons.

In the reign of James the First, he was so very poor that he allowed those who felt disposed to buy, actually to buy peerages with money; in the reign of George the First Sir Robert Walpole, (first minister,) openly and notoriously bought votes whenever he wished to carry any measure, many he bought with money, several he bought by making them Peers. Mind we only speak of these things as we gather them from printed histories of the House of Peers; it is well known by almost every English person, when and for what every peer was made; if our journal would admit we could name parties who have been made for all the causes we have stated, and it may be asked of us, thus composed how do they act? and what manner of people are these peers? We will tell you it is very many years since that some of these noblemens' ancestors were made peers; many of them some centuries since, although very many are within a few years, but most of them are passed through two or three generations since they have been enrolled, and from their ancestor's wealth they have been well educated, and several of the peers have been men who by their virtues

and talents have secured themselves the admiration and esteem of their countrymen. (Many it is true pursue a very different course of life and conduct from these,) still virtuous or vicious, talented or half witted, they as noblemen have a right to vote upon all parliamentary questions, and as they are not obliged to be present when they vote, but are allowed to vote by proxy as it is called, that is by allowing some other peer to hold their written authority to vote, it is really possible that a man might be deprived of his senses, be a madman, be in the daily commission of the most. offensive crime and yet have his vote every day recorded as a peer of parliament.

Is there then no bright side to this picture ? Yes, the House of Lords composed as it is, forms a good safeguard, and is most admirably calculated to uphold the national honour in the strict principle of justice. Times might occur when the people, who return the members of the house of commons, might require such sudden changes in the mode of carrying on the Government, such alterations in taxation, or such modes of electing parliaments, as would be unwise and unsafe as well as dishonest to grant ; and yet the people might so order the members of the House of Commons, that they would be compelled to carry the measure; then the House of Lords, who are not answerable to any one for their conduct, would refuse to comply, and thus

would check the measure until persons had time to think coolly upon the business. There is however another check upon the House of Lords and Commons, because no measure that is passed by the Lords and Commons, can be brought into operation without the royal assent being obtained for it.

Lord

Several noblemen have been authors. Byron was a famous poet; Lord Holland, Lord John Russell, Lord Morpeth, Lord Mahon, Lord King, and Lord Mulgrave, are well-known as writers, and many others, no doubt, whom we, of course, have not heard of.

On the 25th of February, 1841, accompanied by our kind friend, Thomas Baldock, Esq., who procured for us admission, we paid a visit to the House of Commons, and were allowed to sit in the body of the house, under the Strangers' Gallery, and were separated from the members only by a slight rod of iron. We had previously paid a visit to the House of Commons, through the kindness of our friend, Sir Charles Forbes, but as we then had nobody with us to tell us the names of the members, our first visit lost much of its interest.

This night was a very important night, as it was to be a trial of strength between the Liberals and the Conservatives; and out of six hundred and fifty-eight members, five hundred and ninetyseven were that night present. The question